The immediate focus for Leicester City upon relegation is which players will depart the club.

“A lot of the players will leave,” Gary Rowett has said.

“There will be a natural freshening up of the club in terms of the playing squad,” he said, although Rowett is also unlikely to be the man in charge to make that happen.

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Around half of Leicester’s 31 current first-team players are expected to depart, something that will concern few supporters.

Losing some of the Foxes’ highest earners will immediately alleviate pressure on the wage bill, but these players will need to be replaced.

Leicester are in the fortunate position of having a crop of talented young players both at the club and out on loan.

Silko Thomas, Louis Page and Olabade Aluko have played small roles this season and can expect to be relied on far more heavily next season.

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The club will also welcome back Sammy Braybrooke, Will Alves and Jake Evans from their loans, and all are likely to play their part.

Braybrooke, especially, has starred on loan at Newport County and Chesterfield and looks like somebody who could be key as the Foxes look to ensure their stay in League One is a short one.

However, questions remain about the club’s spending capabilities, and free transfers are likely to play a big part in recruitment.

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Leicestershire Live looks at five EFL players City could look to bring in on free transfers this summer.

Przymeslaw Placheta

A winger with searing pace, Przymeslaw Placheta has been a Championship regular for six years.

For the past two years, he has featured regularly for Oxford United but may have to drop to League One if he wishes to remain in England.

Leicester could do with more options on both flanks, with Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu expected to depart.

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Placheta can play on either side, making his versatility a real asset for any manager. While his end product can often leave a little to be desired, he consistently gets into great positions using his pace.

In League One, however, the pace of the game would be slower, and Placheta would have more time to make decisions.

He has managed three goals and a solitary assist in the Championship this season.

He has shown himself to be a good crosser too, with a cross accuracy of 26.7%. For reference, Abdul Fatawu’s cross accuracy is 22%.

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Oxford are one of the poorest sides in the second tier, always making life more difficult for attacking players.

In League One, however, he could thrive, playing for a team that hopes to be fighting at the top end of the division.

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Sam Bell

A player who has already performed well in League One this season, Sam Bell enjoyed an excellent half-season loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers before being recalled by Bristol City.

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Bell scored six goals and provided two assists on the left flank for Wycombe.

He showed he had good delivery and an excellent work rate for the Chairboys before the recall.

Since returning to Ashton Gate, Bell has scored four goals in only 285 minutes. He has made 9 substitute appearances but has started only twice.

In Bell, Leicester would be signing a player who has already proved himself to be a capable deputy at Championship level, but somebody who could be much more than that in the third tier.

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He is a goalscorer, and any side that hopes to be successful at the top end of a division needs to find goals from wide areas.

If Bell is offered a new deal by Bristol City, they would be due compensation as the player is under 24.

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Will Evans

Will Evans has had an interesting journey to become a dependable League One striker.

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He did not make the step to full-time football until he was 25, starring for Bala Town in the Cymru Premier before a move to Newport County.

Evans scored 29 goals in 107 games in South Wales and earned a step up to League One level with Mansfield Town.

He has scored 25 goals in 95 games for the Stags, earning a reputation as a real handful for defenders.

He has managed 13.4 expected goals for Mansfield this season, but has scored only eight, struggling with finishing, though this has never been an issue before this campaign.

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Evans is tall, powerful and excellent in the press. He would be different to many players who have led the line for Leicester in recent years, but could get the best out of those around him.

If Leicester think they need a more physical frontman in the third tier, Evans could be just the man for that role.

It would not be the most glamorous or eye-catching signing a recently relegated Leicester could make, but it would likely be shrewd business.

Archie Collins

Archie Collins

Archie Collins

Archie Collins is another who has excelled at the League One level for some time. He would make a shrewd pick-up for any club hoping to be fighting at the top end of the division.

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He has made 157 appearances for Peterborough United, having previously starred for boyhood club Exeter City at the same level.

He is an all-rounder, excelling in all aspects of midfield play.

He ranks amongst the best players in the league in his position for passing stats, assists, dribbling and defensive contributions.

With Collins, it is easy to see how his skill set could pair nicely with Sammy Braybrooke when he is integrated into the Foxes team.

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Both players are full of energy and comfortable on the ball. Collins is also crucially a leader, having captained Exeter on several occasions.

The idea of having two all-action midfielders could be concerning for some supporters, but Collins has shown himself to be disciplined in the Posh midfield.

Leicester will need to move on from Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks before they can think about bringing a new midfielder in. But it is likely that the club will want a new-look midfield.

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As a side who hope to be fighting at the top of the division, Leicester will see lots of the ball. This would not be an issue for Collins, who plays in a possession-based Peterborough outfit under Luke Williams.

Getting somebody with such vast League One experience on a free transfer would be good business for Leicester. After several good seasons in the third tier, however, there is likely to be Championship interest in Collins.

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Tony Springett

Leicester would be wise to target young and hungry players with a point to prove.

They have signed too many players whose best days are behind them in recent years, failing to strike the right balance between youth and experience.

One player whose contract is up this summer who fits into the young and hungry mould is Norwich’s Tony Springett.

Springett has made 16 appearances for Norwich so far this season, starting seven games and scoring his first Canaries’ goal against Walsall in the FA Cup.

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Springett’s career at Norwich has never quite got going due to injuries, but he is highly rated by manager Phillipe Clement, after being cast out by Liam Manning.

“All I can say is ‘thank you’ to the gaffer for having that little bit of trust in me. When stuff like that happens, it installs a different kind of fire in your belly, and you’re willing to do anything for that person or the club,” Springett said about Clement.

At 23, however, Springett may want to play more regular football with a contract not forthcoming in Norfolk.

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At Leicester, the former Ireland U21 international could find a home on the right flank in place of Abdul Fatawu.

They are very different players, and Springett does not possess the Ghanaian’s inventiveness, but he could be an asset in the third tier.

The City may look for a manager who wants to develop youth this summer, given the club’s many talented young players. If that were to happen, a player like Springett would be a sensible signing.

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